How to Plan a Girlfriends' Getaway

If you love a girls' night out, take the concept one step further with a girls' weekend vacation. Spend a night or two--or three--with your closest gal pals in a swanky resort, enjoying pastel frozen drinks, spa treatments and other girlie treats. Here's how to plan a girlfriends' getaway you and your friends will be talking about for months to come.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Agree on a time and budget first. If you're coordinating with several friends, make sure you've all cleared room in your schedules for your girlfriends' getaway. There's no better way to start a fight than planning the vacation on a friend's wedding anniversary or baby's first birthday--so make sure every friend has signed off on the weekend. Also agree up front on a price limit for this adventure.
2. Decide what you want to do on your vacation. Depending on your budget, you could go on a cruise, take in a tropical resort, hike, gamble or even shop at famous retail destinations. Consider a weekend in a big city like Manhattan, Los Angeles or Chicago. Spa getaways are also a great option for girlfriends.
3. Try to get group rates. Look online for travel packages or work with a travel agent. You can also find travel specialists who coordinate tours of major cities or even shopping vacations. Some hotels, including the Omni and Kitson boutique hotels, offer special "girlfriends" packages that include perks like champagne and spa treatments.
4. Coordinate with your friends when packing for your girlfriends' getaway. This way you'll each bring clothes of similar levels of formality--you won't have one friend stuck in a cocktail dress while everyone else stays in swimsuits and flip-flops.
5. Take lots of pictures--many women have photographs of themselves only with their husbands and children. Be sure to commemorate this special occasion.